Swivel hook assemblies are widely used in luggage, e.g. to releasably secure a shoulder strap to an article of luggage.
In a typical construction, the strap is terminated at one end or both ends in a swivel hook which can engage a D-ring or other eye affixed to the article of luggage, the swivel hook having, in addition to the hook member itself, a loop, usually of metal, through which the belt or strap passes and which can be affixed to the belt or strap or stitching or the like.
In the past, various techniques have been utilized to allow the swivel action between the hook and the loop and to connecting the hook to the loop. For example, a pin on the hook can have a head which is inserted through a hole in the loop, the latter being flattened to elongate the hole and thereby prevent withdrawal of the head through the elongated hole which thus results. A problem with this and other constructions has been the tendency of the hole to spread upon the application of force and with wear so that the hook can pull out of the loop.
Other arrangements provide heads on the pin within the loop which can pull off or require complicated multipart constructions to form pockets for the head to trap the head on the loop while allowing a swivel action.
The latter systems are complex, expensive and frequently unsatisfactory for some hook designs while systems which tend to wear and deteriorate in use can not only be inconvenient to the user but can be dangerous in that suddenly released strap ends may swing into the face of the user or others in the vicinity to cause significant injury.